Dough conveyor

ABSTRACT

A dough conveyor used as a fermentation conveyor. Dough is fed onto it from mixing apparatus by a conveyor operating at higher speed than the fermentation conveyor. The fermentation conveyor has an upper and a lower section moving in opposite directions. Each section has an upper run which has a driven roller at one end and a take-up roller at the other end. The major portion of the upper run of each conveyor has horizontal rollers supporting the middle portion of a neoprene belt and diverging inclined rollers supporting the side portions of the belt to form a trough-like portion. The inclined rollers are mounted on brackets made of flat bar stock and have lower horizontal portions, vertical portions, and parallel upwardly inclined portions at the ends of the horizontally and vertically extending portions between which the inclined rollers are mounted. The rollers are mounted on bars that carry anti-friction bearings pressed into the ends of hollow body portions of the rollers and bolts extend endwise into the ends of each bar to hold them from endwise movement relative to their mountings.

United States Patent Kieffaber Sept. 5, 1972 [54] DOUGH CONVEYOR [72]Inventor: Clarence A. Kielfaber, Overland Park, Kans.

[73] Assignee: Marion Corporation,

[22] Filed: Sept. 24, 1970 21 Appl. No.: 75,169

52 us. c1 ..198/84, 198/192 51 Int. (:1 ..B65g 37/00 [58] Field ofSearch ..198/84, 102, 103, 191, 192

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 977,987 12/1910 Willson, Jr..198/192 2,007,910 7/1935 Stephens ..198/192 x 1,457,352 6/1923 Dreher198/84 x 2,869,710 1/1959 Stewart ..198/192 1,321,784 11/1919 Bird..198/84 x 203,825 5/1878 Healey ..198/192 FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS 819,142 8/1959 Great Britain ..198/192 PrimaryExaminer-Even C. Blunk Assistant Examiner-H. S. Lane Attorney-Alfred R.Fuchs 1571 ABSTRACT ,A dough conveyor used as a fermentation conveyor.

Dough is fed onto it from mixing apparatus by a conveyor operating athigher speed than the fermentation conveyor. The fermentation conveyorhas an upper and a lower section moving in opposite directions. Eachsection has an upper run which has a driven roller at one end and atake-up roller at the other end. The major portion of the upper run ofeach conveyor has horizontal rollers supporting the middle portion of aneoprene belt and diverging inclined rollers supporting the sideportions of the belt to form a trough-like portion. The inclined rollersare mounted on brackets made of flat bar stock and have lower horizontalportions, vertical portions, and parallel upwardly inclined portions atthe ends of the horizontally and vertically extending portions betweenwhich the inclined rollers are mounted. The rollers are mounted on barsthat carry anti-friction bearings pressed into the ends of hollow bodyportions of the rollers and bolts extend endwise into the ends of eachbar to hold them fromendwise movement relative to their mountings.

8Claims,6DrawingFigures DOUGH CONVEYOR It is the purpose of my inventionto provide a Dough Conveyor that is particularly adapted for use as afermentation conveyor, that is of such structure that it is sanitary andcompact, so that it can be enclosed within a housing within which thetemperature and humidity may be controlled for fermenting the dough,should this be desired.

My conveyor, when used as a fermentation conveyor, is supplied with adough mixture that has been mixed but not developed, the dough being fedin a continuous stream from the mixing means to a conveyor that operatesat a more rapid rate than the conveyor forming the subject matter ofthis invention, so that the dough will tend to pile up on thefermentation conveyor as it is fed thereto and carried away from thepoint of feeding at a slower rate than that at which it is depositedthereon.

In order to provide a dough conveyor that will be simple in constructionand yet be adapted to form a trough-like belt member that will preventany escape of the dough therefrom as it travels ravels along with theupper run of the same, rollers on which said belt is mounted areprovided which comprise longer rollers that extend so as to rotate abouthorizontal axes between a pair of longitudinal frame members and shorterrollers that rotate about inclined axes that diverge upwardly from ahorizontal axis, mounted on brackets that are detachably secured tolongitudinal frame members, said brackets being closely adjacent therollers that rotate about the horizontal axes in order to provide forthe support of the conveyor belt in a manner to produce the trough-likeform thereof.

In order to avoid the collection of flour or other foreign matter on thebrackets, the same are made up of flat bar stock so as to avoid anycorners or undesirable recesses in which flour or other foreign mattermight collect.

The brackets are preferably independently detachably mounted on the webportion of channel members that form the longitudinal frame members. Thebrackets are provided with vertically extending portions that areattached, so as to be held against any swinging movement on said framemembers, and with horizontally extending portions located at a slightlylower level than the horizontal axes of the longer rollers, there beinginwardly and upwardly inclined portions at the ends of the verticallyand horizontally extending portions of the brackets upon which theinclined rollers are mounted.

It is a further purpose of my invention to provide means for detachablymounting the conveyor rollers on the framework and on the bracketmembers, comprising bars that extend through hollow tubular bodyportions of the rollers and a short distance beyond antifrictionbearings that are pressed into the ends of said hollow body portions.Said bars are mounted in openings in the frame members, or the inclinedend portions of the brackets, as the case may be, and held againstendwise movement relative to said frame members or brackets by headedscrew-threaded fastening elements that are screwthreaded into the endsof the bars upon which said rollers are mounted.

A further purpose of my invention is to provide a flexible andextensible belt for said conveyor which is made of rubber-like material,such as neoprene, which will conform to the rollers over which it istraveling so that there will be-portions of the conveyor belt that areof a troughlike-cross section and portions thereof that approach a flattransverse section.

It is a further purpose of my invention to provide a conveyor of theabovementioned character that has portions onto which the dough is fedfrom the feeding conveyor and from an upper conveyor section toa lowerconveyor section operating in the opposite direction to the uppersection that approach flatness.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear as thedescription of the drawings proceeds. I desire to have it understood,however, that I do not intend to limit myself to the particular detailsshown or described except as defined in the claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of my improved conveyor, the mid-portionthereof being broken away.

FIG. 2 is a vertical section thereof taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1 manenlarged scale.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing one of the framemembers and portions of the. rollers associated therewith takensubstantially on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1 on a still larger scale.

FIG. 4 is a view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section andpartly broken away taken on the line 44 of FIG. 1 on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 5 is a detail fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5--5 ofFIG. 4, and

FIG. 6 is a detail fragmentary inside elevational view of one of theframe members showing a portion of a bracket attached thereto, taken onthe line 6-6 of FIG.-4.

Referring in detail to the drawings, my improved conveyor is providedwith a frame having upper and lower longitudinally extending framemembers 11 and 12 which are secured in spaced relation to each other byvertical frame members 13, and said framework is supported by bottomtransverse frame members 14, the

same being suspended from a suitable support above the framework (notshown) by means of rods 15. While the conveyor is preferably suspendedfrom above it is obvious that it can be mounted on a support below thesame by suitably supporting the transverse frame members 14 on such asupport.

The longitudinally extending frame members 11 and 12 are substantialduplicates and are each made up of a channel having a web portion 16 andupper and lower flanges 17. Each of the frame members 11 and 12 has abelt conveyor associated therewith, the construction of each of saidconveyors being substantially the same. The upper run of each of saidconveyor belts is provided with supporting means comprising rollers 18which are mounted to rotate about horizontal axes between the opposedframe members 11. Each of said rollers 18 extends substantially theentire distance between the pair of longitudinal frame members 1 1 andis provided with a tubular body portion 19 which has an epoxi coating 20provided on the exterior thereof. Anti-friction bearings 21, shown asbeing ball bearings, are pressed into each end of the tubular bodyportion 20 of each of said rollers, said ball bearings each having aninner race 22, that is provided with a hexagonal opening therein throughwhich the bar 23 hexagonal in cross section extends, said bar fittingsaid opening closely. The bar 23 is of such length that it extends intobut not through an opening 24 in each of the web portions 16 of theframe members 1 l, and is provided with an axial internally threadedopening 25 in each end thereof with which the threaded shank portion ofa screw threaded headed element 26, in the form of a bolt, extends, alock washer 27 being provided between the outer face of the web portion16 and the head of the fastening element 26. By tightening up the headedscrew threaded fastening elements 26 the bars 23 will be held detachablyin fixed position with respect to the frame members 11, thus alsolocating the rollers 18 with respect to said frame members.

Brackets 28 are mounted at spaced intervals along frame members 11. Saidbrackets are made of flat bar stock and are bent so as to havevertically extending portions 29 which are secured to the inner sides ofthe frame members 11 closely adjacent but offset longitudinally of saidframe members 1 1 from the rollers 18. In order to prevent any swingingof the brackets on the longitudinal frame members, and to provide fordetachment of the brackets, should this be found desirable, saidvertically extending portions 29 are secured flatly face to face to theweb portions 16 of the frame members 11 by means of a plurality offastening elements arranged so as to be located in different verticaland horizontal planes, such as the bolts 30 and nuts 30. Extending fromthe vertically extending portion 29 at the lower end thereof is thehorizontally extending portion 31 'of each of said brackets. The remoteend of the horizontally extending leg 31 of the bracket is bent upwardlyat an oblique angle to provide the upwardly and inwardly extending endportion 32 thereon. The vertical leg 29 of said bracket is secured tothe frame member 1 l in such a position that the horizontal leg 31thereof will be located below the axis of rotation of the adjacenthorizontally extending roller 18. The vertically extending portion 29 ofthe bracket member is also provided at its end with an inwardly andupwardly extending portion 33 longer than the portion 32, which is bentto extend parallel to the portion 32.

The upwardly and inwardly obliquely extending portions 32 and 33 areprovided with openings 34 into which extend bars 35 that are hexagonalin cross section and are of the same character as the bars 23 exceptthat they are shorter, being of such a length that they do not extendentirely through the openings 34. Said bars 35 are secured to theangularly extending end portions 32 and 33 in the same manner as thebars 33 are secured to the frame members 11, by means of the headedfastening elements 26 and lock washers 27. The rollers 36, provided withhollow tubular body portions 37 similar to the body portions of therollers 18 and a coating 38 similar to the coating provided for therollers 18, have the bearings 39 pressed into the same, which bearingshave hexagonal openings 40 for snugly receiving the bar 35. The rollers36 are thus mounted to rotate about upwardly diverging inclined axeswith the top surfaces at the lower ends thereof in substantiallyhorizontal alignment with the top surface of the adjacent rollers 18.

Mounted at a lower level than the rollers 18 on the frame members 11, insubstantially the same manner as the rollers 18, are the rollers 41which are made in the same manner as the rollers 18 but are of smallerdiamete'r, said rollers having tubular body portions 19 having a coating20' thereon and having anti-friction bearings 21' provided with openings22' to receive the hexagonal in cross section bars 23 which extend intoopenings 24' in said frame member 11 and are secured in position againstendwise movement relative to the frame members 1 l by suitable fasteningelements screw threaded into the same comprising bolts 26' and a lockwasher 27 provided between the head 26 of said bolt and the web portion16 of the frame member 11.

A conveyor belt 42 extends over the rollers 41 and over a take-up roller43 which is mounted on a suitable shaft 44, that is adjustablelengthwise of the frame members 11, bearing members 45 for said shaftbeing provided on one end of movable members that have screw threadedportions 46 and nuts 47 that engage with a transverse web portion 48 oneach of the frame members 11, for holding the shaft 44 in adjustedposition so as to put the proper amount of tension on the conveyor belt42. Said conveyor belt extends from the take-up roller 43 to the drivenroller 49 over the rollers 18 that rotate about horizontal axes and therollers 36 that rotate about upwardly diverging inclined axes. Saidconveyor belt extends around the driven roller 49 and back under theupper run thereof on the rollers 41. The roller 49 is driven by means ofa motor 50, which may be provided with suitable speed reducing means, bya sprocket chain 51 operating over a sprocked 52 and a sprocket 53mounted to rotate with the driven roller 49. The conveyor belt 42 ismade of a flexible extensible material such as rubber or neoprene.

It will accordingly be evident that the upper conveyor section, havingthe frame members 11, has a conveyor belt 42 operating over the samethat has a lower run, that is substantially flat, in engagement withrollers 41 and an upper run which, over the major portion thereof, has alongitudinally extending central portion 54 that is transverselyhorizontal or substantially flat, and upwardly and outwardly inclinedportions 55 each side thereof, thus forming a trough-like member for thereception of material that is fed on to same, such as dough. The portionof the conveyor belt 42 that extends between the take-up roller 43 andthe nearest pair of inclined rollers 36 thereof, has the side portionsgradually inclined upwardly from the flat portion thereof extendingaround the take-up rollers to the trough-like portion thereof, as shownin FIG. 2, where said conveyor belt is in engagement with the rollers 18and 36, thus providing a portion on each side of the longitudinallycentrally located flat portion 54, that gradually approaches flatnesstoward the take-up roller 43, this portion being indicated by thenumeral 56. A similar portion 57 that gradually approaches flatness asit reaches the portion thereof that extends around the driven roller 49,also exists at the opposite end of said conveyor section.

A feeding conveyor, indicated diagrammatically at 58, discharges at 59above the portion of the upper run of the conveyor 42 between thetake-up roller 43 and the pair of inclined rollers 36 nearest saidtake-up roller. Preferably the conveyor 58 operates in the samedirection and at a considerably faster lineal speed than the conveyorbelt 42, as it is desired to provide for an extended period of time forthe dough to be carried along by my conveyor, particularly when it isused as a fermentation conveyor, the belt 42 operating comparativelyslowly. As a result the dough discharged from the conveyor 58 willaccumulate on the conveyor belt 42 as it is deposited thereon. Therelative speed of the two conveyors can be adjusted to obtain anyrequired accumulation of the dough on the conveyor belt 42.

Mounted on the frame members 12 in a similar manner to the rollers 18and 41, are the rollers 18 and 41- said rollers being of the same lengthas the rollers 18 and 41 and being mounted in the same manner as therollers 18 and 41, which is shown more in detail in FIG. 3. Brackets 28are provided on the frame members l2 and are the same in shape andmounted in the same manner on the frame members 12 as the brackets 28,above described, are mounted on the frame members 11, the conveyor belt42 operating over said rollers in the same manner as above described inconnection with the rollers 18 and 41. The brackets 28 are mounted onthe frame members 12 closely adjacent the rollers 18' and are providedwith rollers 36 for engagement of the belt 42' therewith in the samemanner as the belt 42 engages with the said rollers 36 provided on thebrackets 28, that are mounted on the upper frame members 11. Thus, themajor portion of the conveyor belt 42' has an upper run that has alongitudinally centrally located portion 54' that is substantially flatand oppositely upwardly divergently inclined side portions 55. Saidlower conveyor section is substantially a duplicate of the upperconveyor section except for its direction of travel. Instead oftraveling from left to right, as shown in FlG. 1, it travels from rightto left, the take-up roller 43 corresponding to the take-up roller 43previously described, being mounted on the right hand end of the lowerconveyor section and the driven roller 53', corresponding to the drivenroller 53 of the upper conveyor section, being on the left hand end ofthe said section, being driven by a separate motor 50' in a similarmanner to the driven roller 53. If desired the two conveyor belts 42 and42' can be driven at different speeds to either increase or decrease thecross sectional bulk of the dough on the conveyor belt 42' because ofthe independent drive of the two conveyor sections.

It is to be noted that the end portions 56' and 57 of the upper run ofthe lower conveyor belt 42 correspond to the portions 56 and 57 of theupper run of the upper conveyor belt 42 and that the dough will bedischarged from the portion of the belt 42 extending over the drivenroller 53 onto the portion of the lower conveyor belt 42 that is locatedbetween the take-up roller 43' and the nearest pair of brackets 28thereto, thus being discharged onto a portion of the lower belt 42' thatapproaches flatness.

What I claim is:

l. A dough conveyor comprising a frame having a pair of longitudinallyextending frame members, rollers mounted on said frame members to extendtransversely between the same from one thereof to the other thereof androtate about parallel horizontal axes, pairs of opposed flat facedbrackets mounted on said longitudinal frame members in closely adjacentoffset relation longitudinally of said frame to said rollers, rollersmounted on each pair of said brackets to rotate about inclined axesextending in upwardly diverging relation to said horizontal axes, a beltof flexible extensible material mounted on said rollers to extendlongitudinally of said frame with the longitudinally central portionthereof engaging said first mentioned rollers and the portions onopposite sides of said longitudinally central portion engaging therollers mounted to rotate about said inclined axes, and a drivenrollermounted between said frame members to extend transversely between thesame near one end thereof and rotating about a horizontal axis spacedlongitudinally of said frame from said rollers rotating about saidinclined axes, said belt extending around said driven roller inengagement therewith.

2. The dough conveyor claimed in claim 1 having a take-up roller mountedbetween said frame members to extend transversely between the same nearthe other end thereof and rotating about a horizontal axis apacedlongitudinally of said frame from said rollers rotating about saidinclined axes, said belt extending around said take-up. roller inengagement therewith, and means for discharging a continuous stream ofdough onto said belt between the portion thereof in engagement with saidtake-up roller and the portion thereof in engagement with the pair ofrollers rotating about said inclined axes nearest said take-up roller,said means for discharging said continuous stream of dough onto saidbelt comprising a conveyor operating in the same direction and at muchgreater lineal speed than said belt.

3. The dough conveyor claimed in claim 1 in which said rollers havebearings mounted on inclined shafts, said shafts having axial internallythreaded openings in the end portions thereof, said end portionsextending into openings in said brackets and headed screw threadedfastening elements engaging said internally threaded portions to clampthe ends of said shafts to said brackets against axial movement of saidshafts relative to said brackets.

4. The dough conveyor claimed in claim 1 in which said brackets haveflat faced horizontally extending portions depressed below saidhorizontal axes, flat faced vertically extending portions secured tosaid longitudinally extending frame members and parallel flat facedinclined end portions mounting said rollers.

5. The dough conveyor claimed in claim 4 in which said longitudinalframe members have flat faced vertical web portions and a plurality ofsecuring elements located to prevent swinging movements of said bracketsabout said longitudinally extending frame members detachably connectsaid vertically extending portions of said brackets face to face withsaid web portions of said frame members.

6. The dough conveyor claimed in claim 4 in which one of said inclinedend portions of each of said brackets extends inwardly and upwardly fromthe vertically extending portion thereof and the other inclined endportion extends inwardly and upwardly from the horizontally extendingportion thereof.

7. A dough conveyor comprising a frame having a pair of upperlongitudinally extending frame members and a pair of lowerlongitudinally extending frame members, rollers mounted on each of saidframe members to extend transversely between the same and rotate aboutparallel horizontal axes, pairs of opposed brackets mounted on each ofsaid frame members in offset relation longitudinally of same framemember to said rollers mounted thereon, rollers mounted on each pair ofsaid brackets to rotate about inclined axes extending in upwardlydiverging relation to said horizontal axes, a belt of flexibleextensible material mounted on said rollers on each of said framemembers, to extend longitudinally of said frame with the longitudinallycentral portion thereof engaging said first mentioned rollers on saidframe member and the portions on opposite sides of said longitudinallyextending central portion engaging the rollers mounted on said framemembers to rotate about said inclined axes, and a driven roller mountedbetween each pair of said frame members to extend transversely betweenthe same near one end thereof and rotating about a horizontal axisspaced longitudinally of said frame from said rollers rotating aboutsaid inclined axes, said belts each extending around one of said drivenrollers in engagement therewith, a take-up roller mounted between eachpair of said frame members to extend transversely between the same nearthe other end thereof and rotating about a horizontal axis spacedlongitudinally of said frame from said rollers rotating about saidinclined axes, said belts eachextending around one of said takeuprollers in engagement therewith, means for discharging a continuousstream of dough onto said belt between the portion thereof in engagementwith said take-up roller mounted between said upper pair of framemembers and the portion thereof in engagement with the pair of rollersrotating about said inclined axes nearest said take-up rollers, saidlast mentioned means comprising a conveyor operating at much greaterlineal speed than said belts.

8. A dough conveyor comprising a frame having longitudinally extendingframe members, rollers mounted on said frame members to extendtransversely between the same and rotate about parallel horizontal axes,pairs of opposed brackets mounted on said frame members in offsetrelation longitudinally of said frame to said rollers, rollers mountedin upwardly diverging relation to said horizontal axes, a belt offlexible extensible material mounted on said rollers to extendlongitudinally of said frame with the longitudinally central portionthereof engaging said first mentioned rollers, and the portions onopposite sides of said longitudinally central portion engaging therollers mounted to rotate about said inclined axes, said brackets eachcomprising a flat bar bent to provide a horizontally extending lowerportion, a vertically extending portion, a lower upwardly inclined endportion extending from said horizontally extending lower portion and anupper upwardly inclined end portion extending from said verticallyextending portion in parallelism to said lower upwardly inclinedportion, said rollers mounted to rotate about said inclined axes beingeach mounted between a pair of said upwardly inclined portions of saidbrackets.

1. A dough conveyor comprising a frame having a pair of longitudinallyextending frame members, rollers mounted on said frame members to extendtransversely between the same from one thereof to the other thereof androtate about parallel horizontal axes, pairs of opposed flat facedbrackets mounted on said longitudinal frame members in closely adjacentoffset relation longitudinally of said frame to said rollers, rollersmounted on each pair of said brackets to rotate about inclined axesextending in upwardly diverging relation to said horizontal axes, a beltof flexible extensible material mounted on said rollers to extendlongitudinally of said frame with the longitudinally central portionthereof engaging said first mentioned rollers and the portions onopposite sides of said longitudinally central portion engaging therollers mounted to rotate about said inclined axes, and a driven rollermounted between said frame members to extend transversely between thesame near one end thereof and rotating about a horizontal axis spacedlongitudinally of said frame from said rollers rotating about saidinclined axes, said belt extending around said driven roller inengagement therewith.
 2. The dough conveyor claimed in claim 1 having atake-up roller mounted between said frame members to extend transverselybetween the same near the other end thereof and rotating about ahorizontal axis apaced longitudinally of said frame from said rollersrotating about said inclined axes, said belt extending around saidtake-up roller in engagement therewith, and means for discharging acontinuous stream of dough onto said belt between the portion thereof inengagement with said take-up roller and the portion thereof inengagement with the pair of rollers rotating about said inclined axesnearest said take-up roller, said means for discharging said continuousstream of dough onto said belt comprising a conveyor operating in thesame directiOn and at much greater lineal speed than said belt.
 3. Thedough conveyor claimed in claim 1 in which said rollers have bearingsmounted on inclined shafts, said shafts having axial internally threadedopenings in the end portions thereof, said end portions extending intoopenings in said brackets and headed screw threaded fastening elementsengaging said internally threaded portions to clamp the ends of saidshafts to said brackets against axial movement of said shafts relativeto said brackets.
 4. The dough conveyor claimed in claim 1 in which saidbrackets have flat faced horizontally extending portions depressed belowsaid horizontal axes, flat faced vertically extending portions securedto said longitudinally extending frame members and parallel flat facedinclined end portions mounting said rollers.
 5. The dough conveyorclaimed in claim 4 in which said longitudinal frame members have flatfaced vertical web portions and a plurality of securing elements locatedto prevent swinging movements of said brackets about said longitudinallyextending frame members detachably connect said vertically extendingportions of said brackets face to face with said web portions of saidframe members.
 6. The dough conveyor claimed in claim 4 in which one ofsaid inclined end portions of each of said brackets extends inwardly andupwardly from the vertically extending portion thereof and the otherinclined end portion extends inwardly and upwardly from the horizontallyextending portion thereof.
 7. A dough conveyor comprising a frame havinga pair of upper longitudinally extending frame members and a pair oflower longitudinally extending frame members, rollers mounted on each ofsaid frame members to extend transversely between the same and rotateabout parallel horizontal axes, pairs of opposed brackets mounted oneach of said frame members in offset relation longitudinally of sameframe member to said rollers mounted thereon, rollers mounted on eachpair of said brackets to rotate about inclined axes extending inupwardly diverging relation to said horizontal axes, a belt of flexibleextensible material mounted on said rollers on each of said framemembers, to extend longitudinally of said frame with the longitudinallycentral portion thereof engaging said first mentioned rollers on saidframe member and the portions on opposite sides of said longitudinallyextending central portion engaging the rollers mounted on said framemembers to rotate about said inclined axes, and a driven roller mountedbetween each pair of said frame members to extend transversely betweenthe same near one end thereof and rotating about a horizontal axisspaced longitudinally of said frame from said rollers rotating aboutsaid inclined axes, said belts each extending around one of said drivenrollers in engagement therewith, a take-up roller mounted between eachpair of said frame members to extend transversely between the same nearthe other end thereof and rotating about a horizontal axis spacedlongitudinally of said frame from said rollers rotating about saidinclined axes, said belts each extending around one of said take-uprollers in engagement therewith, means for discharging a continuousstream of dough onto said belt between the portion thereof in engagementwith said take-up roller mounted between said upper pair of framemembers and the portion thereof in engagement with the pair of rollersrotating about said inclined axes nearest said take-up rollers, saidlast mentioned means comprising a conveyor operating at much greaterlineal speed than said belts.
 8. A dough conveyor comprising a framehaving longitudinally extending frame members, rollers mounted on saidframe members to extend transversely between the same and rotate aboutparallel horizontal axes, pairs of opposed brackets mounted on saidframe members in offset relation longitudinally of said frame to saidrollers, rollers mounted in upwardly diverging relation to saidhorizontal axes, a belt of flexible extenSible material mounted on saidrollers to extend longitudinally of said frame with the longitudinallycentral portion thereof engaging said first mentioned rollers, and theportions on opposite sides of said longitudinally central portionengaging the rollers mounted to rotate about said inclined axes, saidbrackets each comprising a flat bar bent to provide a horizontallyextending lower portion, a vertically extending portion, a lowerupwardly inclined end portion extending from said horizontally extendinglower portion and an upper upwardly inclined end portion extending fromsaid vertically extending portion in parallelism to said lower upwardlyinclined portion, said rollers mounted to rotate about said inclinedaxes being each mounted between a pair of said upwardly inclinedportions of said brackets.